One Bowl Vanilla Cake - incredibly fluffy and moist cake with the best easy vanilla frosting! All you need is one bowl and a whisk to make it! Even kids can make it!
Easy cakes are the best! My One Bowl Chocolate Cake and the Best Chocolate Bundt Cake are the proof. This vanilla version is bound to be a hit!
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Why You'll Love This Cake
Fluffy and moist cake with delicious vanilla flavor, topped with the best and easiest fluffy vanilla frosting makes for an easy dessert you can make in under 30 minutes. It is the best vanilla cake you will ever make!
You can add other flavorings to make other variations, use gluten-free flour or even make it dairy-free with almond milk. This cake could not be easier to make. You only need one mixing bowl and a whisk to make the batter. It's a must-try dessert for every home baker!
How to make one-bowl vanilla cake?
- Star by gathering ingredients. Make sure the egg is at room temperature. If you don't have buttermilk, you can easily make it by mixing apple cider vinegar with half and half or whole milk.
- Whisk together dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
- Add wet ingredients (except water) and whisk. Add water and whisk it in. Pour batter into the prepared 8" square or round pan.
- Bake cake in a preheated oven until golden on top, 25 to 28 minutes.
- Cool completely before frosting.
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One-Bowl Cake variations:
- lemon cake: add lemon zest and 2 tablespoons lemon juice (plus enough water to make ½ cup of liquid)
- berry summer cake: add lemon zest and blueberries or raspberries
- gluten-free cake: use gluten-free flour that can be used in 1:1 ratio
- dairy-free: use almond milk in place of half and half to make buttermilk
- zucchini cake: add shredded zucchini (squeeze out as much liquid out of it as you can before using) and frost with chocolate frosting
- funfetti cake: add sprinkles into the batter and on top of frosting.
The vanilla frosting:
I made my go-to vanilla frosting recipe by creaming butter and powdered sugar, then adding vanilla and a splash of heavy cream. It's fluffy and just perfect with this cake!
Recipe FAQs:
Yes! Pour batter into a cupcake pan and bake for 18 minutes, until golden on top. Cool completely before frosting.
You can add fruit to the batter, but I recommend dropping it into the batter while it's already in the pan. You can also add funfetti or other sprinkles.
More Easy Cake Recipes:
If you like this recipe and make it, let me know in the comments below! Don't forget to rate it if you enjoyed it!
One-Bowl Vanilla Cake recipe
Ingredients
for cake:
- 1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup granulated sugar
- ½ teaspoon baking soda
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- ½ cup vegetable oil
- ½ cup buttermilk see note
- ½ cup hot water
- 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
for frosting:
- ½ cup unsalted butter softened
- 1 ½ cup powdered sugar sifted
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 350℉. Grease and flour or line with parchment paper, an 8" square or round pan. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt.1 ¼ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ cup granulated sugar, ½ teaspoon baking soda, 1 teaspoon baking powder, ¼ teaspoon salt
- Add egg, buttermilk, vanilla and oil. Whisk together. Add hot water and whisk well until the batter is smooth. It will be runny but that's okay.1 large egg, ½ cup vegetable oil, ½ cup buttermilk, ½ cup hot water, 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
- Pour batter into prepared pan. Tap the pan gently against the counter to release any air bubbles.
- Bake cake for 25 to 28 minutes or until golden on top and a toothpick inserted in a few places comes out clean.
- Cool cake completely before frosting.
- To make frosting: place butter in a medium mixing bowl and beat for 7 minutes. Add powdered sugar, ½ cup at a time and beat in well. Add heavy cream and beat in for 1 minute. Add vanilla and mix in. The frosting should be very fluffy. Spread over cooled cake. Decorate with sprinkles.½ cup unsalted butter, 1 ½ cup powdered sugar, 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract, 1 tablespoon heavy cream
Notes
- To make homemade buttermilk: mix 2 teaspoons of apple cider vinegar with enough half-and-half to make ½ cup of liquid. Let stand for 3 to 4 minutes. When the mixture looks thick and curdled, use it in the recipe.
- Use good quality vanilla as that is the primary flavor in this cake.
- For the best frosting: make sure the butter is soft. Otherwise, the frosting won't be fluffy.
- Please note, that the nutrition value can vary depending on what product you use. The information below is an estimate. Always use a calorie counter you are familiar with.
C Larson says
This recipe is the best!! I have baked from scratch all my life. I needed a small cake and didn't want to use butter in the cake; when I saw the one bowl cake recipe, I tried it. The frosting and the cake top any recipe I have used. Highly recommend following the recipe as it is written. Thank you for sharing!!
Debbie says
Was wondering since it was a bit runny, and I did add a bit more flour. Can I omit the water?? I like the idea of no butter. I love the idea of one bowl. It was still very moist... My hubby hates that word.. LOL Thanks.
Courtney Talty says
This was a great recipe! Your site is so easy to read! I love not having to scroll back up for the ingredients! Brilliant idea!
Linda says
This vanilla cake is delicious! The best I have had. It is also easy to put together. The frosting is also delicious. Wonderful recipe. Thank you so much for sharing!💗
KM says
This is easy and my family loves it! You can whip this up for a friend's birthday on a fly too. Keeper!
Evelyn says
Amazing cake. I’ve been making so many of them as I’ve recently started baking from scratch as a hobby. I’m surprised it’s so simple and easy for how delicious it is. It fully delivered on the moistness and fluffiness. My sister told me the texture is like a Starbucks cake pop. Thanks so much for the great recipe.
Jane says
Very light and moist. Quick easy make and so delicious!!
Anna says
Thank you so much, Jane!
Régine says
This sounds great, can i make it two days in advance? Would it go well with a chocolate sauce topping? ( I wnt to bing it camping and i can make that topping there)
joanna louie says
What is the cook time for 9 inch pans? I don’t own 8 inch pans.
Anna says
Hi Joanna! Cut the time to 23 to 25 minutes. Check the cake if it's done. I hope this helps!
Sarah says
I fell upon this recipe searching for a simple, good vanilla cake. This is a total winner!!! My husband likes to think he is an aficionado of vanilla cakes. He and I both agree this is the best homemade vanilla cake we've had. We share it with our neighbour and he agrees as well!! Easy recipe that comes together relatively quickly. The only recipe I will use now. Thanks for sharing it.
Louise says
The cake didn't work for me. It came out too moist, and rubbery. I didn't overix as mixed with a Manuel whisk, all ingredients including raising agents, were fresh. Where did I go wrong? It was perfectly golden brown on the outside and didn't sink or anything, it was quite thin.
Anna says
Hi Louise! If the cake was thin and too moist, it sounds like you didn't use enough flour or used too much liquid.
Louise says
Hi, I'm looking for new vanilla cake recipe to use for birthdays. My current one is more work, too inconsistent, and comes out gluey or perfect. Cannot wait to try this one instead. Just a quick query, can the buttermilk be substituted with light sour cream?
This recipe looks amazing, and so easy,
Thank you!
Anna says
Hi Louise! I never tested this recipe with sour cream so I can't promise what the result will be. I recommend using buttermilk. You can make your own with whole milk (or half and half) and vinegar or lemon juice. I hope this helps!
charity says
Made this recipe today for Easter. The only thing I did differently was use butter instead of oil. The cake came out amazing! Beautiful, soft crumb and very tasty all around. I made my own "frosting" with whip cream, cream cheese and a bit of strawberry jam. I will be keeping this recipe for the future!
Louise says
Sorry, forgot to ask, is an electric whisk or manual whisk best to use for this recipe? If electric should it be on low throughout? I am fearful of overmixing.
Anna says
That's fantastic! Thank you so much, Charity!
JJ says
Thanks for sharing this recipe! If I made this in 2 pans, approximate size 4x4, would you suggest using the same oven temperature and a lesser cooking time? Thanks so very much!
Anna says
Hi JJ! If you are using smaller pans, set the oven to the same temperature but check the cake at 15 minutes. Add more baking time if needed. I hope this helps!
Pamela says
I used melted butter in place of vegetable oil did not add hot water at the end because my batter already looked runny. The cake came out great. Absolutely love this recipe. Previously, I've tried the recipe without any of my personal adjustments, but the cake didn't rise as expected, probably because the water content was too high which is why I decided to omit the hot water.
Susan Maijala says
This cake is the BEST cake I’ve made! Received sooo many compliments upon serving to family & friends.
So very easy to whip up and put in the oven. Frosting is such a complement to the cake.
Thank you for sharing recipe.
Sue